COLLEGE CORNER: Draves defends 200 fly title at Big Ten champs

Shannon Draves had a big year in 2012, winning the Big Ten Championship in the 200 butterfly and reaching the finals in the event at the United States Olympic Swimming Trials.

There may be no Olympic Trials this year, but the Boyertown graduate continues to dominate the event.

Draves defended her conference title in the 200 fly on Sunday, swimming a time of 1:55.12 in the finals.

“We had some standout performances this weekend, including Shannon’s back-to-back Big Ten titles in the 200 fly,” said Buckeyes head coach Bill Dorenkott, according to the school website. “I am proud of our senior class for its leadership and poise. They are destined for much success in life. And, they will always be Buckeyes.”

Draves became the first swimmer in school history to win the event in back-to-back years, and earned First Team All-Big Ten Honors for the second straight season.

Draves also helped the Buckeyes finish second in the 400 medley relay (3:33.55) and she finished second in the 100 fly (52.29).

The Buckeyes finished fourth as a team behind Minnesota, Indiana and Penn State.

* * *Bloomsburg senior Bridget Hilferty (Perkiomen Valley) finished fifth in the 1,650 (17:16.74) on the final day of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships, and also joined with freshman Ashley Dix (Perkiomen Valley) for a second-place finish in the 800 free relay (7:37.25). Dix also finished 14th in the 200 free.

On Saturday, Hilferty finished third in the 500 free (5:01.85), and on Day 1 she was seventh in the 1,000 free (10:25.44).

East Stroudsburg’s Allison Schafer (Owen J. Roberts) was 11th in the 1,000 free (10:34.06), 13th in the 400 IM (4:43.53) and part of an eighth-place finish in the 800 free relay (7:56.31).

MEN’S SWIMMINGA handful of area graduates helped Bloomsburg finish second at the PSAC Championships last weekend, the school’s best team finish since 1968.

On the final day, freshman Tyler Gross (Pottsgrove) finished sixth in the 200 breaststroke (2:06.96), sophomore Aaron Cancro (Spring-Ford) was 10th in the 200 back (1:55.58) and sophomore Cole Underwood (Perkiomen Valley) was 16th in the 1,650 freestyle (17:03.97).

On Saturday, Cancro was ninth in the 100 fly (52.23) and eighth in the 100 back (53.08), while Gross was seventh in the 100 breast (58.37). Underwood was part of a seventh-place finish in the 800 free relay (7:06.41).

On Day 2, Cancro was part of a fourth-place finish in the 400 free relay (3:27.17), while Gross was part of a fifth-place finish in the 200 medley relay on Day 1.

MEN’S BASKETBALLAlbright senior Dave Singleton (Hill School) was named Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year. Singleton led the conference in rebounding – as a guard – with 9.6 rebounds per game, and was second in the league in assists (5.7 apg) and steals (2.3 spg). He led the team with 16.0 points per game. This week, Singleton and the Lions dropped an 80-78 heartbreaker to Lycoming in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Zach Benjamin (Daniel Boone) had 13 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

Kutztown junior Tyler Brooks (Daniel Boone) had eight assists in a loss to Cheyney last week, before sitting out Saturday’s loss to Bloomsburg with an injury.

Mansfield sophomore Joe Bell (Pottsgrove) had 15 points and six rebounds in an 82-75 overtime win over Millersville last week, which secured the Mounties a spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoffs.

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELDBloomsburg junior Devin Barr (Pottsgrove) finished second in the 200 meters (22.04), eighth in the 60-meter dash (7.18), sixth in the 200 meters (22.43) and fourth in the 4x400 relay (3:20.37) at the PSAC Championships.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELDAlvernia sophomore Rachel Heisler (Boyertown) won the weight throw at the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships with a distance of 14.74 meters. Last week, Heisler was named MAC Track and Field Athlete of the Week last week after winning the weight throw at Franklin & Marshall by more than a meter with a toss of 14.03 meters.

Elizabethtown junior Traci Tempone (Perkiomen Valley) won gold in the mile (5:03.49) and 5,000 meters (18:05.80) at the MAC Championships. Fellow Blue Jay Rachel Carr (Phoenixville) was second in the 800 meters (2:18.50) and third in the 4x400 relay (4:12.76).

MEN’S ICE HOCKEYVermont junior and Collegeville native Chris McCarthy had an assist (his 15th of the year) as the Catamounts battled to a solid 1-1 draw with No. 5 New Hampshire.

Bowling Green sophomore and Collegeville native Adam Berkle had an assist in a 5-3 win over Northern Michigan.

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICSBowling Green freshman Alyssa Nocella (Boyertown) tied for first on floor (9.900) in a tri-meet against Ball State and Eastern Michigan.

WOMEN’S WATER POLOThe University of Pennsylvania’s Dana DeCinque (Hill School) led the Quakers to a 3-1 weekend in a tournament against Pitt, Carnegie Mellon, West Chester and Penn State. She scored nine goals and 15 assists to lead all scorers.

SPRING SPORTSCollege Corner’s coverage of the spring sports season — baseball, softball, golf and lacrosse — will begin next week. Please email smoore@pottsmerc.com with the name, school and high school of any local graduates playing collegiate sports this spring.